Burton Unveils U.S. Olympic Snowboard Team Uniforms For Sochi

Burton first dressed the U.S. Snowboarding Team at the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino. Inspired by a classic American team sport, the white pinstripe designs were reminiscent of retro baseball uniforms, in particular, those worn by the New York Yankees. At the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, the team’s memorable ensemble included plaid jackets and sublimated denim print pants. For the third consecutive Winter Olympics, the Vermont-based company has developed fresh new designs for Burton riders. This year’s ski styles are a sartorial departure from past Games.

On Tuesday night, at the company’s flagship store in New York City, Burton debuted the men’s and women’s apparel to be worn in Sochi. Snowboarders have a unique sense of style both on and off the slopes, and the Burton-designed uniforms reflect their desire to stand out. This year’s competitive fashions feature more muted hues and a patchwork design. The overall aesthetic was based on a vintage quilt from Vermont. Though the quilt was the basis for the jackets, they were cut from different pieces of the marker, giving each jacket a one-of-a-kind look.

Chief Creative Officer, Greg Dacyshyn, spoke about the quilt and how it led to the development of the final design:

“We had done a mock-up and then it was about the hunt to find a really cool quilt with the proper colors. We were always going to vintage fairs for our main line and then we found this one. It wasn’t perfect, so we took it back to Vermont. And there’s a kid that works with us as a designer and his grandmother actually is a master quiltmaker, so she took the whole thing apart and sewed it all how we wanted to see it. I thought it came out really cool. It’s a good blend and good colors and something that’s not expected.”

Company founder, Jack Burton, and Burton rider and Olympic hopeful, Danny Davis, were also on hand for the uniform launch. The full competition set created by Burton includes a nylon jacket and polyester pants designed to look like corduroy, as well as a crewneck, henley, and accessories including hats, gloves and mittens. This also marks the first time that Burton has provided the team’s base layer pieces as well.